They found a hollow cut into the wall, small and crooked, just big enough for three people and a fire pit.
Riven dropped down with a grunt. "Finally. A room that doesn't want to rip my face off." He tossed his pack down and stretched his legs out like he owned the place.
Seren crouched by the pit, already pulling out scraps of wood and dry cloth. She lit it quick, sparks catching. A weak fire flared, throwing soft light on stone.
Kael sat against the wall, throat raw but steady. The Key was warm in his hand, a quiet reminder that peace was never free here. Still… for now, it was quiet.
Riven pulled out their food — stale bread, a strip of meat, and the little jar of salt from the quiet market. He made a face. "This again? Bread that tastes like brick and meat that tastes like regret."
Seren scribbled fast and shoved the note at him: Stop whining. Salt makes it better.
Riven sniffed. "Salt won't save this. You could throw the whole market at it, and it'd still taste like stone."
Still, he sprinkled some anyway. He chewed. He blinked. "…Okay, fine. It's better. Barely. Don't gloat."
Seren's lips curved the tiniest bit. She wrote Idiot and held it out like a medal.
Kael almost laughed. The sound scratched, but it was real.
They ate in turns, passing the jar around like it was treasure. Riven made a big show of guarding it with both arms, then yelped when Seren snatched it back with one quick move.
"Unfair!" Riven complained, mouth full. "You can't just steal seasoning from a starving man!"
Seren scribbled: Starving brain, maybe. She smacked the paper against his chest.
"Pfft." Riven grinned anyway, shaking his head.
Kael let the noise roll around him. It felt strange, almost warm. He hadn't realized how much he needed this — just food, a fire, and voices that weren't trying to erase him.
For a moment, the Labyrinth felt like it was far away.
Then the stone shivered faint.
BOOOONG.
The sound rolled through the hollow, low and patient. The fire shook, sparks jumping.
No one spoke for a breath. Then Riven leaned back, groaning. "Figures. Even the walls are critics."
Seren wrote one last scrap: Eat fast. Rest faster.
Kael nodded. He finished the bread, held the Key close, and let the warmth of fire and voices settle in his chest. The Ledger might be waiting, but for now, they were just three people sharing a meal in the dark.